Tales of the Night
by Ana88
Summary: Vampires, witches, werewolves and shapeshifters; creatures of the night live among us but only a few unlucky ones are aware. What goes on in their dark society? Serie of one-shots featuring several of our favorites characters.
1. Halloween Night

**Song:** It's terror time again by Skycycle

It happened on Halloween night; it had been one of her first jobs. 

Back then Rashel was only thirteen years old and her distinguished career as a vampire hunter was just beginning.

That night, like every other night, she faked being asleep till she heard the front door close. Then she got up and took her black coat and the ski mask she carefully hid under the mattress. She went to the window and after comfirming that her adoptive family was far enough she slid down the roof till she reached a tree branch that allowed her to go down easily, and above all, without being seen.

Rashel headed for the main street. All houses were decorated according to the occasion, they were full of pumpkins, creepy dolls and so on. Naturally there were groups of children from all ages going door to door asking for candy. The Colemans had showed a keen desire to take her and the other kids they took in to trick-or-treating but Rashel had manged to fake an illness so well they had decided to leave her rest at home.

If there was a night she could go unnoticed with that attire it was that one, everyone would simply think she was wearing an unoriginal costume but still Rashel chose to remain away from people, if she wanted to do this she needed to be very careful.

Two weeks ago two girls, a fourteen and sixteen year old, had gone missing. The case had made it to the local news and people at her school began talking about a third girl from the same age that had supposedly ran away from home less than a month ago. The police had released an official statement claiming they had no reason to believe the two cases were connected but that they would keep investigating.

As far as everyone knew no advance had been made.

Rashel read about the case in the newspaper and thought it was worth to take a look at it. If there was something hunting down young girls that night was the perfect oportunity to collect a new victim. She hadn't seen anyone that she found suspicious during her stay in that city but she had arrived recently so it was perfectly possible for a parasite from the Night World to be hidden somewhere.

Rashel devoted herself to monitor everyone that may not be human, the costumes didn't help, but she managed to detect two possible suspects. One was a tall boy wearing a smokin that moved with too much looseness and the other was slim girl with a purple tunic with unusually bright amber eyes. When Rashel saw the girl all the stories about shapeshifters and werewolves she had heard came to her mind and wondered if she may be one of those. Determined to find out, she followed the girl for a long time but finally Rashel had to accept she had been mistaken once she realized the girl was only wearing contact lenses.

Not giving up she continued with her task.

Some time passed till Rashel stumbled with something. At the other side of the street Rashel spoted a young couple. The first thing that caught her attention was the girl, she had golden hair which she carried in ringlets, a long blue dress and crown of flowers decorated her small head. Her partner wasn't wearing a costum or at least he wasn't anything that Rashel recognized, he carried a simple black jacket, worn out jeans and boots. An alarm was triggered inside her head as soon as she saw them.

Without thinking it twice Rashel went behind the couple. She made sure to keep a safe distance from them so they wouldn't notice her but she could still have a good sight of them.

Once the couple left behind the gate that marked the entry of the neighborhood and turned to the left Rashel guessed where they were going: the haunted house.

It had been a topic of discussion the week before. A group of students had managed to obtain a special permission to turn an old house that was some kind of historical monument into a haunted mansion for a whole week. Rashel had read in one of the flyers they have been spreading to promote the event that its purpose was to raise funds for a charitable cause.

The path towards the haunted house had been marked by big arrows which made Rashel's job easier.

The silhouette of a big building started to became visible and the couple sped up. When Rashel reached the house she saw a blue dress disappear behind a thick wooden door.

It was easy to notice that the house could have been a century old, it's rectangular shape and neogothic façade so indicated. Big stone steeps with red stains led to the entry, the stair rail was covered with spider webs and black fabric. The front yard wich was spacious but also very dull was filled of tombstones, a human figure was hanging from the brach of a tree was sadly rocked by the wind. Signs that read: «Be careful!» and «Stay away!» decorated the fence.

The sight didn't scare Rashel, after what she had been through it would take much more to scare her. She recognized whoever was in charge of the decoration had made a good job nonetheless.

A tall figure wearing a long black tunic and a scythe guarded the entrance. It was probably the one in charge of collecting the money of the entrance.

Rashel sneaked between the tombstones and reached one side of the building. She did so because she didn't want to be seen, besides, she didn't have the money for the entrance.

Rashel quickly located a half-open window and climbed to the windowsill. She tried to open it but soon realized it was stuck. Resigned Rashel hold her breath and try to break in through the small space she had avaiable, her legs were first then the rest of her body. Too late she thought that if she got stuck she'd be in a ridicoulus position but fortunately that didn't happened and she managed to enter the house.

She landed in a dark study, a squeleton seated in a leather chair welcomed her.

Rashel headed for the door and opened it carefully.

The house's interior, Rashel told herself, must have been very pretty at the time but now it had a dark aspect. Without wasting any time she examined all the ground floor, the only rooms opened to the public were the dining room, the living room and the study through which she had entered, the kitchen and the bathrooms were locked.

There was no trace from the couple she was looking for.

Rashel then went to the staircase and went up. All the rooms were opened in the second floor but still the couple she was looking for was nowhere in sight. Where were they? They couldn't just disappear into thin aire, could they?

Frustated Rashel penetrated into a lonely hall, the last part of the house that had to be inspected. At the end of the hall a black curtain that served as a door for a room could be seen. When Rashel saw it the alarm inside her head ringed again. Stealthily she advanced toward the curtain and opened, just a little bit and with a lot of delicacy. The scene she witnessed made her stomach churn. Her instinc had been right, the boy was a leech, she could see that now, he had his fangs sank in the girl's neck.

Rashel's hand automatically sought the stake she carried hidden inside her boot. She took a deep breath and jumped into the room.

The vampire's head turned by the sudden interruption, he released the girl's body and it fell to the ground with a dry noise.

He didn't attack inmediatly, just like Rashel had expected. She was just a thirteen year old girl after all, she didn't represent a threat at first sight. The vampire tried to use telepathy on her. Soon she heard a soft voice inside her head, telling her she had a very important thing to do and needed to leave right now; it sounded so convincing like if in reality he was only remainding her (ver kindly) that she had something to do.

Rashel turned on her heels and when it seemed she was about to exit she nudged him, hard. He lost his breath, she had taken him by surprise.

She prepared herself to deliver another blow, her plan was to knock him down but she hadn't counted with the vampire's speed. She didn't have time to react, the next thing she was conscious of was her back's collision against the wall.

Ignoring the pain she got up. Her first thougt was: _zanshin, I need zanshin_ , the second was to recover the stake she had droped. But she didn't have the time, the vampire was now right in from of her. Rashel managed to dodge two or three of his blows till he corraled her in a corner. Then she felt a hand pressuring her throat, taking the air away from her. Rashel resorted to all her self-control not to panic. She needed to think.

Using all the force a thirteen year old could possibly have Rashel gave the vampire a kick in the chin. It worked, the bastard's cruel grip loosened, she managed to get free and take the stake she had lost but she didn't have the time to used it like she had expected. Her opponent quickly recovered and Rashel felt a powerful blow directed at her back. She was tossed across the room again.

This time she landed againts a big box located in one corner.

The vampire's face was contorted with rage. She had infuriated him a lot. Her rival lunged towards her. Rashel breathed and then did something he didn't expect. She threw herself at him with the stake pointing out and plunged it into his chest. The vampire gasped.

She was small compared to the vampired so she wondered if she had missed the heart.

Rashel glanced up, her look and her adversary's locked. His eyes shined with hatred.

 _Yes, you hate me_ , Rashel thought, _I'm killing you right now. I can't let you harm more girls._

Finally he stopped moving and the body collapsed.

Rashel then focused on the girl that lied on the floor. She approached the girl, she was still breathing.

Out the corner of her eye she saw the vampire's body.

The fist thing she thought was the box of matches she had brought for the ocassion but she hesitated in using it. The room was filled with fake spider web that could probably be flammable and starting a fire wasn't in Rashel's plans for tonight.

What to do, then?

A mild moan caugth her attention, it came from the girl, she was starting to wake up. If she opened her eyes and saw a mummified body with her partner's clothes she would freak out.

 _Think, think,_ Rashel told herself.

Her eyes found a window. She tried to opened it in vain, it was locked. But even if she managed to open it, Rashel realized, it would be of no use. The window faced the backyard which had people in it, it wouldn't be wise to throw a mummy at them.

She couldn't get the body out of the room either, people will question why was she dragging a dead body around the house.

Behind Rashel, the girl moaned lauder this time.

She had to do something, and do it fast.

Her eyes looked for something, anything, that could serve her. At the end Rashel glanced at the box she had bee thrown at, she realized it was actually a coffin. Could she…? It seemed absurd but what other option did she had?

She approached it and saw there was a squeleton inside it, she took it and pulled it out. Then she went to the vampire's body and put a hand on its shoulder and the other one on the rib cage, with some effort she managed to straighten the body. Putting aside her disgust by the fact that she was most likely holding a rib Rashel lifted the body and using all her remaining force she tossed it inside the coffin. To her surprise, it fitted, apparently the coffin was from the vampire's seize.

Seconds after Rashel's feat the girl finally wake up.

Her hair was messy and she looked disoriented like if just have came out of some parasomnia state. She glanced Rashel and asked:

–What happened?

Rashel conclued the girl must had been influenced, people didn't remember they had been attacked when they were under mind control.

–I think you passed out –she replied calmly.

The girl looked at her incredulously.

–Are you serious?

Rashel nodded.

The girl rubber her forehead.

–I have never passed out before –she muttered.

She then fell quiet for a moment, then she questioned Rashel again.

–Where's Jack?

Now it was Rashel's turn to look at her completely puzzled.

–Who's Jack?

–The boy that was here with me –replied the girl and then have her a brief description of the vampire she had just killed.

–There was none here –lied Rashel.

–Are you sure?

Rashel nodded again.

The girl looked around very confused and got up.

–Well, I think I better go and start looking for him .

The girl then exited the room.

Now that she was alone Rashel could think. How could she get rid of the body? She couldn't leave it there forever. She had to do something but what?

Rashel contemplated the corpse. Under different circumstances it could even be funny.

She sighed.

Long minutes passed before she finally got an idea. A couple of days ago the organizers of the event had been recruiting people to help them remove all the decoration once it was over. She could volunteer and then she would come back and take the body out of the house so she could get rid of it properly.

But her plan didn't work. The next day, when she came back for the body under the excuse of helping the others Jack's body had vanished. Rashel had examined every corner of that old house looking for it, she thought perhaps someone had move it believing it was part of the decoration but she didn't find it.

Reflecting on the matter later, she had come to the conclusion that Jack hadn't work on its own, he must have had a partner. And that partner had been the one that found Jacks's body and made it disappear in some ingenious way Rashel didn't think about. If she was right then the macabre discovery had been enough to scare that other accomplice because no other case of missing person was reported after that night.

Rashel had been attentive to any similar case in near cities but nothing came out.

The police was never able to find any of the missing girls, neither could Rashel but at least she knew she had brought them some justice.

At the end everyone seemed to have a happy Halloween.

 **And that's itm** **. I hope you liked it. In case you are wondering why is there the title of a song at the top it is because this series of one-shots are based on a challenge I saw in THG fandom. It basically consists in putting your Ipod to shuffle and write a story based on whatever song you listened to. I liked the idea and thougt I'give it a shot.**

 **Night-Person-Iron-Fey, this is the second chaper of my fic, the first one is like ten pages long so it would take more time to translate, I'll see if can do it in this week.**

 **Cheers.**


	2. Old friends

**Song:** Rotten to the core by Sofia Carson

'' _The late fifteenth century and early sixteenth were heavily marked by political instability. The general dissatisfaction of the time and the increasing resentment towards King Ancel V's harsh policies resulted in a mass migration to the recently discovered New World where several groups of shapeshifters founded the so-called 'New Houses'. The Drache House, then inmersed in a conflict over the line of succession to the throne between Ancel VI and Egmont II, was unable to take any action on the matter. The situation went on and the shapeshifters in the Americas remained independent till the mid-nineteenth century when the First House of Shapeshifters claimed its right to rule all shapeshifters, giving way to the War of the Fallen Houses. ''_

 _Chronicles of the shapeshifters, volume 3_

Out of the corner of his eye Galen saw the gates close behind him.

This wasn't the first time he accompained his father to a meeting, in fact he did that pretty often, but it had been a long time since the last time he had visited Sarper family in their own home. His memories of the place were pretty blurry.

One row of perfect hedges streched on each side of the cobblestone path. He managed to distinguish motionless human figures, most likely statues in the distance. In front on him, the silhouette of a big building was getting bigger and bigger. The weird thing was it didn't seem to have a defined shape, at one time Galen saw a long and thin shadowy figure that looked like tower, when he got closer the figure seemed to split in two and when the structure finally materialized it became one again.

On one occasion his grandfather had told him he should never expect something normal from the Sarper. Galen didn't know to what extent he should believe him but the house that stood in front of him seemed to confirm those words. It had a disproportional aspect, like if some parts of the house had grown overnight and the house had mutated into something irregular and deformed. Then there were all those gables, balconies and warped figures of the façade.

The sight startled Galen.

–It causes quite an impression, doesn't it? –his father made a gesture towards the house –. For what I know if they want an extra room they just build it where they can. The Sarper have been living here for a very long time and don't plan on moving anytime soon.

Galen didn't have the time to reply. A young woman, that he supposed was a servant, opened the door and invited them to come in.

The house's inside, just like its outside, was excessively decorated; pristine and shiny furniture crowded the place, paintings with obnoxious amounts of color hanged from the wood-paneled walls and a scarlet carped streched across the floor.

The woman led them to a big dining room. Dim moonlight filtered through the picture windows, lighting weakly the interior. A chandelier hanging from the roof that provided a little more light to the room. In the middle there was a huge rosewood table that could have easily accommodated whole banquets but only two seats were occupied.

Galen recognized the Sarper family patriarch in the head. As soon as he saw them he stood up, locked his gazed with his father's, strech out his arm and said:

–Gerrisen.

His father retourned the gesture.

–Lukav.

Lukav Sarper was one of the few people that ventured to call the king by his first name, as the head of the only Fallen House that hadn't gone extinct he could do that.

His attention then switched to Galen, he examined him with cold interest and with the same precision he offered him his hand. It surprised Galen how he hadn't changed since the last time he saw him (that had been six years ago); his black hair was neatly arranged, his grey eyes still had an icy brightness and his mouth formed a straight line, giving him that eternal serious expression.

–Take a seat –he said with emotionless voice. He looked at the woman that had brought them and said –: Myrla, why don't you go and bring something to drink for our guests?

Myrla nodded and exited the room.

Galen sat down in the closest chair which was next to Lukav and in front the chair that was already occupied so Galen could take a better look at other person. It took him a while to recognize her given that Lysandra had changed since the last time he saw her. The Lysandra he had now in front of him was far from the petite and toothy girl he remembered; she had grown at least twenty inches, had high cheekbones, a generous bust and when she smiled, Galen noticed her teeth were now proportional to her face.

–So, tell me Gerrisen –said Lukav –, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?

–As you may already know –replied the king –things had been tense in the Night World lately.

–Yes, I am aware of that.

–Do you know why?

–I know that wicthes and vampires are not currently in speaking terms because the witches have decided to join some new circle that does not follows the Night World's law, or at least that's what I have heard.

–You seem well informed –responded Gerrisen.

–Rumors go fast –was Lukav's answer.

–Then I imagine you are aware of our position in all this.

–Neutral, from what I gather.

–That is right.

Lukav spoke with a slightly amused tone.

–I guess the Council is not too keen about that.

–No, it is not.

–Why are you waiting to give then your support then?

–That is the thing Lukav –the king's tone changed –I am not giving it to them.

Lukav stared at him.

–May I ask why?

–It is no secret that vampires have never been too kind with us –explained Gerrisen –, I do not have any reason to believe this could change even if we support them.

At that moment Myrla appeared bringing a tray with four cups. She served one to each person, put spoons and bowl of sugar cubes on the table and quickly disappeared.

Lukav took one cube, put it on his cup and started mixing it.

–Well, that seems reasonable –he said after a moment then he looked at him again –but you still have not told me why have you come and you have always been a direct person, Gerrisen.

Indeed, king Gerrisen always preferred to go straight to the point, so he did.

–I came here to tell you what you probably already guessed, that I will give my support to the Daybreak Circle and I want you to do the same.

Lukav didn't react, his face remained intact the same the whole time so it was impossible to say if he was surprised or annoyed by the offert.

–Things are going to get ugly pretty soon Lukav –continued Gerrisen –it is better is we faced them together.

Eventually Lukav replied:

–I will think about it.

The king frowned, he also preferred direct answers.

–I would appreciate that you'd think about it fast, like you said, the Council is not happy with my decision and are insisting on getting an definitive answer from me.

–Then I guess they will be disapointed, sounds like they are eager to get your support.

–You'd think so, they have even asked me about lydd stones.

An expression of surprise appeared in Lukav's, he recovered quickly but everyone in the table was able to see it. All of sudden he stoop up and said:

–I think we better continue this conversation elsewhere –and quickly added –,alone .

The king looked at him perplexed.

–I don't think there's anything you cannot tell me here –he replied.

Lukav's voice lacked that calmed tone of his.

–There is something I would like to tell you, it will take just a minute Gerrisen.

Normally the king would have repeated his previous statement but given that it was no other than Lukav Sarper who was asking for it with something similar to worry in his eyes he acceded. He stoop up, saw his son and hesitated.

Galen looked at his father and mentally tried to tell him it was okey, he seemed to get the message and soon the two men exited the room.

And he was left alone with Lysandra.

For some reason he hadn't predicted it could be awkward. He and Lysandra had been good friends as kids but after he moved at the age of twelve they had fallen out of touch.

He did say Hi but silence quickly followed.

Galen stared at the dark liquid inside his cup. He didn't know for how long he remained like that, apparently it was long enough for Lysandra to say:

–You know you can drink it, right? It is not poisoned.

–Yes, sure –was his reply.

Then he looked at his tea again, this time he started to trace the cup's edging with thumb which triggered another comment from Lysandra.

–They aren't very pretty, are they? –she said holding her cup in the air –, they are made from bone China, we have others that are much prettier that are made from silver but my father warned Myrla against using them, he thought it could be taken as an insult.

–I wouldn't have minded.

Galen knew the Sarper were famous for the large deposists of silver they had in their lands. He also knew that despite his father's words about unity that was the real reason why they had gone there; after the war House Sarper's original power had been decimated and they lacked anything that could remotely resemble an army so they hadn't been a threat in a long time but the Council could potentially change that, if they wanted to.

Political stuff.

–I thought so, I told my father but he didn't listen –replied Lysandra.

The atmospehere became a little lighter. On second thought, that tea smelled really good. Then Lysandra decided to drop a bomb.

–I heard you are engaged.

Galen's body stiffened and the cup of tea remained suspended an ich from his face.

–That's right –he answered and adquiring a more serene tone he asked –: how did you find out?

–Didn't you hear? Rumors go fast.

–Of course.

Lysandra's greyish blue eyes scrutinized him.

–Aren't you a little young to get married?

–Perhaps.

Galen didn't want to talk about the topic right now and thankfully Lysandra noticed it.

–Well, congratulations.

He smiled and said thank you out of courtesy.

Galen took a sip of tea and the memory of his marriage proposal to Lysandra came back briefly to his mind. He had been ten years old then and she was only nine, following a childish reasoning he had figured that since they had so much fun together marriage was a logical step. He vagely wondered how his grandfather would have taken the news of his grandson wanting to take a Sarper as a wife. Old Gelassen would have had a heart attack.

He now knew marriage required more than that, like, a prophecy made hundred of years before you were even born, for example.

He took another sip.

The following minutes passed again in silence. Finally it was Lysandra who broke it.

–Will you stay here for a long time?

–I'm not sure –replied Galen in all honesty –, I don't know when my father is coming back.

–It's been more than a minute –observed Lysandra.

She sighed, looked disdainfully at her cup and stood up.

–It's too boring here –and after a short pause she asked –: do you want to go outside?

Despite Galen's memories of the Sarper's house being fuzzy, the images of its gardens were still clear. He had had a lot of fun in them, he and Lysandra used to play hide and seek for hours there.

However, once he set his oyes on the picture windows located behind Lysandra he hesiated.

–It's too dark.

–That shouldn't be an issue, do you have a good night vision?

–Not really.

–Oh, you are a diurnal animal then?

–I haven't decided yet.

Lysandra examined him. It didn't surprise him, most people were puzzled when they found out that, at his age, he still din't know what he wanted to be.

–Haven't you thought in anything you would like to be? –she asked.

Galen thought about the question.

–Maybe something with wings.

–Well, if I were you I would also think about it carefully –she told him –one can regret his choice and be stuck in a shape one hates for the rest of his life. But if I had to choose, I don't think I would change what I am now, I can't imagine myself being anything else.

Of course she didn't. She had been born with a definied shape, obviously she didn't know what was like to be anything else. To him, the idea of being a snake wasn't too appealing, the thought of having to drag himself didn't suit him.

–You should be something that has poison –commented Lysandra –, my grandfather always said it is the best weapon.

She said it with naturalness, Galen on other hand found it a little bit disturbing and wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Lysandra remained quiet for a moment, drawing invisible figures on the table. She then changed he topic of the conversation, again by asking:

–Do you have any idea of what they may be talking about?

Galen knew 'they'were their fathers but he didn't have an asnwer for her questions.

He shook his head.

–Honestly,no.

Lysandra bit her lip and Galen recognized the gesture, it was an old habit of hers, she did it when she was focusing on something.

–I wonder what made my father react like that.

She said it in an almost inaudible whisper.

He mentally contemplated Lukav with his eyes filled with surprise. What had impressed him so much? The lydd stones were not a big deal, occasionally they could be used to enhance shapeshifters ability to track down people by their life force but their used didn't went any further than that.

–I think it had something to do with the lydd stones –pointed out Galen –, doesn't that tells you anything?

–Well,yes, there is something –Lysandra looked at him –, do you want me to show it to you?

…

The wooden door closed with a slight creak.

Gerrisen had already became familiar with the amazingly baroque room he was in. It was Lukav's study.

–Why do you want to talk here? –asked the king point-blank.

It was funny how the roles had been reversed.

–What you said about the lydd stones –said Lukav –, was it true? Do the Council really asked you about them?

–Of course it was true Lukav, I wouldn't make that up, you know.

–Do they tell you why they wanted them?

–They didn't mention that but there's no much you can do with them anyway. I guess they just wanted to locate some vampire hunter or something like that.

For a moment Gerrisen was under the impression that Lukav was struggling to maintain a calm countenance.

–Do you think all that matters? –asked the king straightforward, as always.

Lukav remained pensive for a moment.

–Some time ago the Council send a couple of vampires over here –he said –they tried to buy some ossistories from me, obviously I refused but I found it very strange.

The first thing the king thought was why would anyone keep that stuff but he kept himself from asking out loud, he had known the Sarper for so long he should be used to their eccentricities by now.

–What is you point Lukav?

–The meadow song.

Gerrisen looked at him incredulous. He vaguely remembered to have heard the song at some point during his childhood.

–You mean the kids song?

Lukav nodded.

–Go look for a stone, ask for meat, ask for bones, –he quoted –the old ones are no longer asleep. Do you know what it means?

It had been decades since the last time the king had heard the lyrics of the song but he wasn't a fool and he could decipher them correctly.

–Dragons –he muttered.

–It's about their awakening; go look for a stone, ask for bones…

–It's a kids song –reiterated the king.

Lukav stared at him.

–Shall we take it as a mere coincidence then?

–I didn't say that, I just don't think it is prudent to draw conclusions based on semi-forgotten rhymes for children.

–The Night World is fallig apart Gerrisen, piece by piece –replied Lukav sharply –, I don't think the Council cares too much about prudence right now, do you?

Lukav's words were more accurate than Gerrisen would have liked to admit. He had dealed with the Elders long enough to know that there was not such a thing like an ethical code among them. Instead, they had an unshakable faith in their laws, on more than one ocassion he had witnessed how they put it above their own blood ties. In his last interview with them they had made it clear that once they managed to get their hands on a Wild Power the plan was to destroy it, with one was enough, that's what they said. And then Thierry Descoudres approached him and told him his suspicions about the identity of the fourth Power, about Kierlan…

Gerrisen shook his head.

–I don't think they are so desperate as to resort to a children's song.

–Desperate times usually call for desperate measures –answered Lukav.

–It is a old _children's song_ –repeated the king –, how much truth can be in it?

–I think you'd be surprised of how many of those rhymes are based on real life events.

Gerrisen was still unconvinced.

Neither of them said it but both knew the meeting was over.

…

Galen stepped into the small room. It had white walls with some tables and painting here and there but the majority of the space was occupied by a big glass cabinet.

Lysandra walked towards it and he followed her.

–Here they are –she said.

He leaned towards the glass to take a better look at what lied behind; he saw small jars of different colors, all had exquisite silvery ornaments.

–What are they? –he asked.

–Ossistories.

A chill ran down his spine. That old custom of keeping the bones of dead family members always seemed grotesque to him. He tried to keep his face undisturbed but Lysandra seemed to guess what his true feelings were.

–All of them are from the past century, we don't keep bones in jars anymore, in case you are wondering.

Galen looked away from the gabinet. He couldn't think in anything to say, besides:

–Of the last century you say?

Lysandra nodded.

–And long before that. My grandfather once told me one of those jars has dragon's bones inside it but that's what his grandfather told him and none has opened one in decades, personally I think it's just a myth.

Galen didn't reply.

Lysandra started walking across the room, he watched her stop in front of a small table with a vase full of dried iris. She stared at the flowers for a second before taking them with a quick and (so thought Galen) abrupt movement.

–Those are dry –she said –we need new ones.

Galen stared back at the gabinet.

–The ossitories seem interesting –he lied –but I don't see what they have to do with lydd stones.

–Oh, right, well there is this rhyme…

A squeak interrupted her.

–I think you're leaving.

More sounds that Galen was able to identify as steps were heard from the dinning room (which wasn't surprising because the room they were in was located right behind it).

–Yes –he muttered.

They both left the room in silence.

His father seemed surprised when he saw him appear from the back of the dining room but didn't ask him about it. There was no need to say that it was time for them to leave.

When he said goodbye to Lysandra he noticed she still held the dying iris.

Had he been a fussy person he would have thought it could have been something symbolic gesture but he wasn't, but luckily he wasn't so he didn't have to draw that kind of conclusions.

Galen did not look back but as he walked down the cobblestone path he saw an unlucky insect trapped in a spider web, fighting in vain to break free while a spider slowly approached it. The spider wasn't black and fat like spiders were supposed to be, instead it had a rather skeletal aspect and ridicously long members. The scene reminded him of the iris, and Lysandra, and everything else. For a fraction of a second he was able to feel the poor insect's fear and could not help but wonder if the spider was far away from him or, on the contrary, he had just left it behind.

 **Well, that's it for today, I hope you liked it. What do you think about Galen? Is he too OOC? I hope he isn't. If there's anything you think I should improve please feel free to tell me and send some feedback, one of the reasons I post this is so I can improve my skills.**

 **Cheers,**

 **Ana.**


	3. Home alone

**Song** : V.O.S by La oreja de Van gogh

Laura looked up just in time to see her parent's car leave the garage and disappear on the highway through her window. She checked her watch and decided she would remain seated for five minutes more, just in case her mother had forgotten something and they had to come back.

The estimated time went by but the grey Mazda did not return.

Laura reread quickly her incomplete essay, she had written two paragraphs and the introduction to the third was unfinished. _''One of the most common arguments against the Spanish-style bullfighting is…''._ She closed her computer and got up. She would finish the essay tomorrow during her first hours of class, then she would go to the library to print it, that way she would have it ready for her literature class. It was easy as pie, she had already done a hundred times.

As she came down the stairs her nerves were on edge in anticipation of what she had planned for that afternoon.

When she entered the living room it occurred to her that she could use that room, it had a big and cozy couch and a plasma TV. She got rid of that idea as soon as it came to her mind. Her mother had a weird fixation with that couch, according to her anyone could take a sit on it, the only thing she asked in exchange was that, once they got up, they fix the cushions so that they wouldn't stay wrinkled. The problem was that, somehow, her mother managed to see even the most negligible of wrinkles. None had ever been able to fix the cushions well enough for her mother taste, there was always a wrinkle that only she could see. So, if she used the couch her mother would knew it, and what was worse, she could even guess Laura had had company.

Laura couldn't risk that.

She went to the kitchen, took a popcorn bag and put it in the microwave, once she heard the beep she emptied the bag's content in a bowl. Then she opened the freezer and after removing some broccoli packaging she pulled out two cans of beer. It was difficult to carry the three items all at once but she managed to do it. She came back to the living room and headed for the small door semi-hidden in the corner.

The basement was a big room, but only half of it was occupied.

Laura put the bowl and the cans on the table located between a small TV and a green couch that had seen better days. On the table there were also a couple of magazines and a pair of scissors.

Laura rolled her eyes. Aly had been doing her homework down there. Not that there was something wrong with that but, how hard was to put things back in their place? One would think someone who lost everything at a chronic rhythm like Aly would try to be more organized, but that wasn't the case. Laura took the magazines and the scissors and placed them on the nightstand beside the couch.

Few meters away from where she was standing lied an open carton box. Laura kneeled next to it and started searching for something. Inside of it were all the movies the family had ever bought. She couldn't help but blush when she came across the old and cheesy romantic movies she and Aly used to watch. What she had thought was cool when she was thirteen now seemed over the top and borderline ridiculous. Perhaps she could watch those movies again and have a good laugh at how exaggerated they were but she wouldn't dare to do that in the presence of someone else.

She was Laura Leyva, she had a reputation to look after.

No, what she needed now was something mildly serious and light. Something like what she found at the bottom of the box, a mix of comedy and action according to the synopsis from the back. It seemed like the right thing.

She turned on the TV, put the disc in the DVD and exited the room.

She checked her watch again. Her parents would be back in three hours, Aly's shift at MacDonlds would end in two and the movie she chose lasted less than an hour and a half. She had enough time.

A knock on the back door interrupted her thoughts. Her heart tipped over.

She was glad he had listened to her and didn't use the front door, the last thing she needed was for the neighbor; Mrs. Crowley, to see him and told her mother that a boy had been in her house.

Laura hurried into the kitchen but stopped abruptly when she saw her reflection in the window. She was wearing the world ugliest sweater, somehow she had forgotten she had that thing on. She quickly took it off and tried not to mess with her hair in the process.

There was another knock, seconds after the girl opened the door and there he was. Her pulse speeded up when she saw him; he was wearing his usual attire, black boots, torn jeans, a faded T-shirt and a coat one size too big.

–Hi Jake –she said with too much enthusiasm. In an attempt to correct herself she added –: Come in –in a calmer tone.

Jake entered and when he did it Laura noticed he left black footprints on the floor. She would have to clean that before her parents came back, and she would have to tell Jake that the next time he came he would have to use the rug.

A smiled appeared in her face with that thought. _The next time he came_. It sounded good.

She closed the door and guided Jake towards the basement. At first all she could feel was excitement at the thought of being alone with Jake. However, once the young boy crossed the doorstep Laura felt as if she was committing a sacrilege. None, except for her and Aly, had set foot in that room. Her mother always avoided doing so under the excuse that there were spiders down there, and a lot of dirt, which was bad for your lungs. Her father on the other hand had always commented on how nice it would be to upholster the room and put a ping pong table or a pool table, he had been saying that for a little less than a decade. That room had become some kind of sanctuary for her and Aly.

Laura tried to shake the feeling. In less than six months she would be going to college at the other side of the country, which meant she would no longer spend time down there anyways. Maybe, with Aly being the only one at home her parents would realize how stupid most of their rules were; no friends were allowed to stay over, no pets, no makeup –Laura looked at the handsome young man behind her –, no boyfriends… The list went on.

She had broken most of those rules, but Aly hadn't.

Laura sighed.

When she took Jake to the couch the boy smiled at the sight of the cans of beer.

–You did think in everything –he said as he opened the can.

The girl smiled back at him. Had she impressed him?

She searched for the remote control and pressed the play button.

The girl's mind focused on the movie's simple plot for about ten minutes before returning to its previous thread of thought.

If she went away, would her parents be softer with Aly? Laura wanted to think the answer was yes. Who knew, maybe in a few months it would Aly the one who brought guests to the basement, and this time she would do it with their parent's permission. She tried to convince herself that the latter was possible but couldn't. Aly the world's hugest introvert. Every time Laura was invited to a party or a movie or a sleepover there was always one condition for her to go: she had to bring Aly with her. Laura could see her parent's logic behind this but they needed to understand too, after certain age it becomes embarrassing to have your little sister with you every time you went out with your friends. Of course, her parents never tried to see the things from her point of view.

Laura repressed another sigh.

The sound of Jake squeezing his beer can brought her back to reality.

The girl turned to her companion; he had put his feet on the table.

She looked at him stunned; he could at least have taken off his shoes. She put food on that table, for God's sake.

She cleared her throat.

–Hum, Jake, could you... take your feet of there?

The boy seemed surprised to hear her speak but he did what she asked. Seconds later he shook the empty can in the air.

–Got more of these? I'm still thirsty…

Laura handed him her can, which remained closed.

Jake accepted the can with a smile, however, instead of open it he put it on the table.

–You know what? Now that I think about it, I want something else.

The girl felt his piercing grey eyes on her and lost her breath.

The boy leaned toward her, took a lock of her hair and put it behind her ear. He was close enough for Laura to feel his breath.

She expected to feel his lips on hers, instead she felt two sharp stings in the lower part of her neck. At the same time she heard a voice inside her head, it sounded serene and somewhat distant, but was also authoritative. It said: _Stay still._

The next thing Laura knew was that the TV and the rest of the room were upside down. She was lying on the couch and Jake was on top of her. But was horrified her the most were the swallowing noises he made. Panic overwhelmed her when she comprehended he was _biting her._

Laura wanted to scream, she wanted push him and run. But she couldn't, her limbs didn't comply her brain's orders.

She was paralyzed.

 _This can't be happening_ , she thought, _it can't…_

But it was happening, and it would continue, unless she did something about it.

What could she do? She couldn't move, there was no way she could defend herself if she didn't move. She had to fix that then. How? She had no idea, but she would try.

Mentally she screamed at her body to move. Every time nothing happened she repeated her order till she was finally able to feel the couch's rough fabric under her fingertips.

She could move her hand. And not only that, Laura discovered she could move her whole arm, it was shaky and felt heavy, but she controlled it.

Her first impulse was to hit Jake but she held herself back. She needed something else if she wanted to fight back. She needed a weapon, but there weren't any weapons in that room…were they?

Laura raised her arm over her head. Her hand searched frantically on the nightstand till her fingers closed on the scissors. She didn't have to think twice before stabbing Jake in the back with them.

The boy let go an exclamation of pain and suddenly, the voice inside Laura's head disappeared, as if an invisible hand had pulled it out.

Now she could move.

She pushed Jake off her with all the strength she could gather.

When she stood up she felt dizzy and her legs were weak.

 _It is because of the blood loss_ , the voice of reason whispered in her head.

She couldn't let that stop her. She forced her logs to move and ran towards the stair. If she reached the living room she could go out and scream for help.

But she didn't make it.

As she climbed the first step a hand landed on her shoulder and threw her backwards.

Laura's head and back collided against the floor. When she opened her eyes and rose on her elbows she saw Jake standing in front of her, blocking her only exit.

His greys eyes had acquired a strange glow, his face was contorted like a dog's when it growled and a pair of fangs that reached up to his chin came out of his mouth. It seemed like something straight from hell.

He took a step forward. Laura stood up ready to run –which was hopeless considering there was nowhere to go unless she used the stairs –but he grabbed her arm before she could.

Laura felt her body crash with something hard; Jake had thrown her against the wall.

–You shouldn't have done that –he said, with a voice that sounded more like a roar –, but if you don't want to do it the easy way, we'll do it the bad way.

He took her jaw and forced her to tilt her head, he did it so hard Laura thought he might break her neck.

The girl screamed when his fangs pierced her skin.

This time there was no voice inside her head. That didn't make the situation any more bearable tough, if anything, it only highlighted Laura's impotence. She started to hit him with her fists but he held her by the wrists and kept her immobile. She tried to kick him but her legs, feeling even weaker than they did before, barely moved. It reached the point where she was standing only because he was holding her.

A muffled sound came from the boy, Laura could have sworn it was a laugh.

The minutes passed; her eyesight became blurry and little by little, the pain was replaced by drowsiness.

She didn't even noticed when Jake finally stopped biting her. The only thing she knew was that she was lying face down on the floor. With the consciousness she had left she was able to make out the sound of someone climbing the stairs and later, the creaking of a door being opened and then closed.

She was alone.

The minutes kept passing but Laura wasn't aware of it, for her it seemed like time didn't to pass at all.

But it did pass, Laura realized when she heard the open for the second time. With difficulty she raised her head expecting to see Jake's menacing figure coming down the stairs, returning to finish what he had started. It wasn't him, it was Aly.

Laura tried to scream her name but instead issued a pathetic whisper, which was enough to catch her sister's attention.

Aly let out a stifled exclamation when she saw Laura. She dropped the bag she had been carrying and ran towards her.

– ¡Lau! Oh God. Lau, ¿are you all right?

Aly kneeled next to her sister and lifted her head gently.

–Does it hurts?

Laura's voice was scratchy.

–Yes, it hurt…a lot.

– What happened?

–I-I invited him… and…

Aly's eyes grew bigger, they were filled with anxiety.

–Who? Did he did something to you?

–He…he –doubt shinned in Laura's pupils, as if she couldn't believe what had happened had been real, even when she was on the verge of death –he drank my blood.

Aly opened her mouth but did not say a word.

–When he…bi-bit me again…I knew he was't go-going to stop.

–Lau…

Laura moaned and that was it. Her eyes were still open but there was no life left inside them. She had stopped breathing and her body was flaccid.

–– ¡Lau! –Aly shook her by the shoulders –Lau, please, Lau, say something …

Aly's screams gradually turned into incontrollable sobs that kept going till someone knocked the door and a deep male voice asked:

– Nyala, is that you? What is going on? Is everything okay in there?

Her parents had returned home earlier than usual.

 **Well, that's it. I hope you liked it** **.**

 **I came up with the nickname ''Aly'' for Nyala because I didn't want to be too obvious.**

 **P.D: If anyone is interested in seeing drawings of the Sarper and Drache family I'll be posting some in my tumblr account, you can search me as albawhitequeen. You can also check their family trees in my FF profile ;).**


	4. Party time

**Song:** I want you back by The Jackson Five

–You can't get in.

It took him a minute to process the meaning of that phrase. Those words were never directed at him.

–¡Oh, come on Cooper!

The security guard shook his head.

–You are not in the list.

–I'm sure you can make an exception… –he used his friendly tone, one he hoped, reminded Cooper of all the good times they spent together.

It didn't work.

–Ash, if I let you in and someone finds out I'll be fired, I just got this job two months ago and I'm not gonna lose it now.

The young vampire let out a sound of resignation and said:

–I get it. Anyway, it was good to see you again Coop.

–Same –replied Cooper, although it didn't seem like he meant it, just like Ash.

Once Ash put what he considered a safe distance between him and Cooper, he commented in the most casual manner:

–By the way Cooper, our fathers want to get together in a week or two, I may join them and tell them about all the things we did in New York.

Cooper's eyes grew bigger.

–Are you kidding?

–No at all.

–You can't tell them anything about me without giving yourself away –he answered sharply.

–Can't I? I never got the chance to get hammered, I was the designated driver, remember?

–You wouldn't dare…

Oh, but he would. They both knew that. They also knew Cooper's father posture about alcohol and other human's vices (that how he called them). The guy made Alder Redfern look like a liberal, and Cooper being the third and least favorite child, it was certain his father wouldn't take it easy on him.

Ash saw his friend (if he could still call him that) clench his fists before open the gates behind him. He pretended not to hear Cooper's cursing and kept walking through the path that extended in front of him.

The house he was heading to was old and big, two of the things the Silversmith clan liked best. Ash guessed the house belonged to the end of the nineteenth century. The doors were wide open and the lamia entered a wide lobby, at its center there was an elegant staircase, guarded by a guy dressed just like Cooper –with black pants, shirt and jacket and a small cable falling from his right ear.

His ever-changing eyes went up till they met with a man leaning on the railing, he was holding a glass of wine in his right hand, wore an obviously expensive suit and was watching the lobby with great satisfaction, it seemed like he took great pleasure in seeing his guests arrive. Ash recognized him immediately and was prudent enough to look away and get out of that lobby as soon as possible.

He then found himself inside a living room in company of some couples and members of the staff who were offering drinks. He inspected the face of each person in the room, even when he knew the person he was looking probably wasn't there. And he was right.

Ash kept moving across various rooms, studying the face of everyone he encountered (in a subtle way, of course, he didn't to look like a creep), without success. When he reached what must have been the dining room he felt himself on the verge of a great disappointment. He had not set a foot on that house in a long time, but he was fairly sure that after the dining room, there was the kitchen, followed by a couple of small rooms and then…he would end up in the same lobby through which he had entered and Ash had no way to know if he was still there, watching over his guests with those hawk's eyes…

The lamia sighed and, instead of start looking like he should have done, chose to head towards the mini bar located in the far corner. A small drink wouldn't hurt him.

He had just taken a sip of his drink when someone put a hand on his shoulder and his body tensed.

–Hi Ash.

It wasn't that deep voice he had been expecting, this one was a soft, friendly one.

He relaxed and turned around.

–What's up Josh, enjoying the party?

The witch shrugged.

–Yeah, I guess. But I think I rather just go to a club, here everything is just too... –he pointed at their surroundings with his head, the room had white walls, marble statues adorned the place along with black furniture and the tile floor resembled a chess board –formal.

–I get you.

Ash would have also preferred to go to a party in the club, where he didn't have to worry about spilling his drink on the expensive furniture or where the music sounded like actual music and not the type of melody you hear inside an elevator.

–Besides –added Josh –, most of the girls here are enclave girls, half of them are engaged and the other half have the mentality of, you know, ''sticking to your own kind''. There's none to hook up with.

The lamia smiled. He liked Josh, the witch was always willing to help and definitely knew how to have fun. He did have a tendency to talk too much though.

–By the way, how are you here? I didn't know you were coming.

–It was a last minute thing –. Ash took another sip –. And what about you, how did you end up here?

Ash was genuinely interested. He had never seen Josh in one of Mason's parties.

–Well, you see, my older brother Nick is helping Mason in some of his business and he owns me, so I asked him to put on the guest's list, so here I am. These parties are supposed to be very exclusive.

–Does it lives up to your expectations?

Josh's face changed.

–Being honest… if I had known it would be this boring I wouldn't have wasted a favor to sneak in here.

–In what kind of business is involved Nick?

–I have no idea –replied Josh –, and I want to keep it that way. You know how this works, those who know too much don't get a happy ending.

He was a smart boy. There were just a few people who had an idea of exactly what were Mason Silversmith's businesses about (he had many). But most of people were aware that it weren't legal, so it was better to look the other side.

–So… how is Thea doing?

Josh tried to sound casual but Ash noticed some anxiety in his voice. The witch seemed to hear it too, since he looked away once he finished the question and his cheeks acquired a reddish tone. Anyway, it wasn't really a surprise, she had been the one who introduced them and it has been painfully obvious for everyone (except Thea, of course) that Josh had a thing for her.

He was about to answer him that, sadly, Thea was already taken but he had no chance.

It hit suddenly.

At first he thought it was a slap in the face, but he had been slapped enough times to know how it feels like.

Next thing he knew, his face was wet and it wasn't water, he was soaked in liquor.

In front of him, with the same hawk's eyes he had tried to avoid shining with fury and holding an empty glass in one hand, was she. He had sneaked in that party to find her and at the end, she had been the one to find him. And obviously, she was still angry.

–Amber?

–What the hell are you doing here? –she snapped.

Ash opened his mouth to answer but she went ahead.

–Get out.

Amber said it in a low tone (probably because she didn't want to draw too much attention to the dramatic scene) and with a great deal of contained anger. Their faces were inches away and as she spoke she brandished the glass near his face; Ash feared that this would be the next thing she threw in his direction.

–Amber, I…

–If you don't leave right now I'll bring Mason, and I don't think you would want that.

No, he definitely didn't want that.

Amber turned around and started to walk away, against to what his instinct told him, Ash went after her leaving a very confused Josh behind. He took her arm and managed to make her look at him.  
–Amber, listen, I'm very sorry about what happened ... what I did to you, I really ... have no excuse.  
The girl's face softened, she seemed perplexed.

–Was that what I think it was?

Yes, indeed, Ash Redfern had apologized.

–I am sorry –he repeated.

He wanted to say more but she didn't let him.

–Not here –she said and nodded to another big guy dressed just like Cooper standing in front of the window –, if they see us together they'll tell Mason and you'll be done. –She came closer to him, and in an almost inaudible voice whispered –: On the left side of the stairs there is a door that leads to the basement, I'm going to open it for you, go there in five minutes, when Bernie pauses to go to the bathroom, and wait for me.  
Then she left. This time Ash did not dare to follow her.  
– I think this would do you good.

It was Josh's voice, he was offering him a handkerchief.

–Thanks –said Ash as he took it.

–What was all that?

The vampire considered all the possible explanations he could give and answered:

–She is my ex.

He gave Josh back his handkerchief and left the room, he had already begun to feel the curious glances of the guests who had witnessed the scene.

He spent the next four minutes half hidden behind a column, counting the seconds.  
When he finally reached the lobby the room was empty, the guard watching the stairway (that Bernie) was gone, and most importantly; there was no sign of Mason.  
As he turned the knob of the door that Amber had indicated, he thought about aborting the mission, turning around and leaving, just like that. After all, he had already offered his apologies, right?  
He shook his head. He recognized the tactics of the old Ash and had to constantly strive not to fall into them. Besides, what happened with Amber deserved more than a simple apology; he certainly had a long list of blameworthy acts to repent of, but what happened that night ... that was certainly among the worst five. He had to do something to make up for it, but he did not know what. He would have to ask her if there was anything he could to make it up to her.  
He followed the stairs in front of him.

All this was quite familiar to him. On more than one occasion he had to enter through windows or climb walls to avoid having to deal with a jealous boyfriend, fiancé or father. Mason Silversmith, however, was the one who took the prize, his overprotective instinct for his younger sister had forced him to be creative. He still remembered vividly the time he ended up clinging to a pipe three meters from the ground, all because the guard who had to check Amber every half hour appeared earlier than expected.  
That night, when he persuaded her to "borrow" the keys of one of his brother's luxury cars and sneak away with him, they tiptoed through the house in the dark, drowning giggles like two children about to make some mischief. Had any of them known what would happen later, none would have laughed.  
He came to a room completely deserted and in the dark. He expected to find a dusty room full of useless things like any other basement, but it wasn't like that. That room was quite large and there was no trace of dirt, unless you counted the mold on the walls. The strangest thing, however, were huge ledges that went from the floor to ceiling, Ash could see stairs that undoubtedly served to reach the higher parts. They were all arranged in a column and filled a considerable part of the room. The content was the same in each: rows after rows of bottles filled with a clear liquid.

Finally he reached a kind of threshold without a door that led to a room with many barrels and a strong smell that he knew quite well: alcohol, and came it from all those containers. There were also several bottles scattered around that apparently were empty.  
His left foot hit something hard, he looked down and saw a box containing several of those bottles that were so abundant in that place. But that was not what set on an alarm inside him, it was the mark of a black crescent moon on one of its sides. The mark meant the box was destined to the enclaves, where the dry law was still in force.  
 _Oh crap_ , he thought.  
Ash felt as if his stomach were shrinking. He knew that feeling and usually told him when it was time to turn around and leave, it had already saved him from so much trouble.  
He would have to find some other way to talk to Amber later ... Now that he thought about it, where was she and why did it take her so long to come?  
He returned to the ledges room and, as if it were a twisted response from the universe, the door through which he had entered, opened.  
He turned around expecting to see Amber's slender figure, but it wasn't her.  
He had tried to avoid him all night and now there he was, right in front of him.  
Mason Silversmith and three other figures were at the entrance. None of them moved but they didn't need to.  
Ash started to run and immediately heard footsteps behind him that went at full speed.  
He tried to think and find a way out of the situation. He knew he was at a disadvantage and needed to do something ... fast.  
He got between two of the huge ledges and once he reached one of its ends he pushed it with all his strength.  
The sound of glass crashing to the floor, along with some moans and expressions of pain told him that his strategy had been successful.  
Or that was what he thought until he felt another body tackling him and they both landed on the ground. He tried to take the other guy off him with a kick but found out that the weight of his opponent made it difficult for him to move. He suppressed a scream when claws penetrated his abdomen. Instinctively he placed both arms to protect his face and neck; the predators always went for the jugular ... literally.  
The sharp, throbbing pain of those claws spread to his forearms, chest and hands. The young lamia could only see the werewolf's arms as two diffuse spots rising and falling. And in the haze of confusion that had settled in his mind he tried to contemplate his next move.  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw how the ledge he had just sent to the floor was moving. He had to do something right now and only one thing occurred to him.  
An explosion of energy was the only way he could describe that trick Morgead had taught him. A kind of concentrated explosion aimed at the werewolf that was on top of him. The claws stopped and the weight that oppressed his stomach disappeared as the werewolf fell backwards.  
Ash shoved him off and resumed his escape.  
The effects of what he had just done became evident immediately. He felt himself weaker and a feeling of weariness spread through his body. He ignored all that and continued. He managed to cross to the barrels room, there were two doors, he had no idea what was behind them but that the least of his worries at the moment. Then he thought about the possibility that they were locked and wished with all his strength that they weren't.

He did not have time to find out anyway because a hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back. He did not see the blow coming but he did feel it. The pain started in his nose and spread to the rest of his face.  
Ash pushed forward and hit his head against the other guy's. That was enough for the guy to let go and he stumbled backwards. He did not fall to the ground because he managed to cling to one of the barrels and ended up half sitting, half standing in a corner.  
A second guard was heading towards him. With his right hand he felt something long, hard and cold, without thinking twice he took it and smashed it against the temple of his rival; the bottle exploded in a shower of broken glass.  
He did not know who was the one that pounced on him - whether the vampire he had hit by the head or the werewolf - but as soon as he felt the cold ground against his back he knew that his chances of winning that fight had drastically diminished and he didn't have many to start with. There was not enough energy inside him for another psychic attack.  
He used the last weapon he had left, with the broken bottleneck he was still holding, raised his arm until it sank into something. He heard a growl and felt a cool liquid on the tips of his fingers. The hope that gave him that small victory did not last long, because everything went dark. The last thing he was aware of was the explosion of pain that appeared on his forehead.  
When he opened his eyes, everything was dim. He had to blink twice to bring his eyes back to focus and looked at his surroundings. He was still in the room with the barrels, he was sitting and had his arms thrown back around a column-with his wrists tied. The three guards looked at him like a pack of lions ready to jump on their prey.  
–You had a lot of guts to come here Redfern –Mason said, with that deep, hoarse voice so characteristic of him.  
Ash heard his voice but couldn't see him, the position he was in make it difficult for him to move. At the end, it wasn't necessary since he saw Mason approaching from the corner of his eye. Soon he was in front of him.  
–When Amber came to tell me you were here, I almost didn't believe her –Mason continued –. I didn't think you were that stupid.  
So that had been her plan, she had set a trap and he had not been slow to fall. He pictured her in her room, in front of her mirror admiring her perfect reflection with that expression of complacency that she had every time her machinations were successful.  
–Come on Mason, I didn't come here looking for trouble.  
–Well, it's a bit late for that, don't you think?  
Ash examined the situation he was in and he soon came to the conclusion that he was fucked up.  
–Look –he said, using the most conciliatory tone he could –, I only came to apologize.  
Mason looked at him with an amused expression, like a father entertaining himself with his son's childish fantasies.  
–Alright –he replied –, and why did you come down here then?  
He opened his mouth but did not speak immediately. He was certain that if he told him that Amber had been the one who had told him to come to the basement, he wouldn't believe him. So in the end he said:  
–It is not what it seems, I ...  
As soon as he finished the sentence, he felt like kicking himself for having said the dumbest sentence that could have occurred to him.  
–Well, it seems to me that someone has been sniffing where he shouldn't.

Ash shuddered, Mason's tone had changed from casual to serious ... with a certain menacing accent. It scared him to think what that phrase meant. As soon as he made the decision to sneak into that house, it had been very clear that he had to avoid Mason, otherwise he and his thugs would throw a black bag over his head, put him inside a van, gave him a good beating and then thrown him on the side of some lonely road, in retribution for what happened with Amber. Now, however, he had seen things he shouldn't have and was aware that Mason was illegally introducing alcohol into the enclaves.  
Josh's words echoed in his head: _Those who know a lot don't get a happy ending._  
 _Damn it Amber_ , he thought. No doubt she must hate him. Could he blame her, after what happened? Not really.  
–I wasn't doing anything – Ash managed to articulate.  
–Do you think I give a damn about what you were doing? –Mason asked –.Whatever it was, I can assure you won't do it again.  
That didn't sound good.  
He needed another strategy. Goodbye Ash the peacemaker.

–Do you wanna to bet? –He asked in the most arrogant tone possible –. I'm a Redfern, do you really think if you do something to me, my father will sit idly by?  
The truth was that, after that trip to Briar Creek, Alder Redfern wouldn't care that much if something happened to him, but Mason didn't need to know that.  
–You're right –Mason acquired a thoughtful expression –, a dead son would infuriate any Elder, but a _missing_ one the other side ... it would be more manageable, don't you think? –He squatted so they were both at the same height. His eyes were as hard as rocks –. I know how to make you vanish so that nobody ever finds you.  
–They'll find me –Ash answered with a conviction he did not feel.  
Mason got up and started walking in circles.  
–Let's see; your name is not on the guest list, you came in here and did not talk to anyone except the bartender and Josh the chatterbox, and I know what to do to keep both of them quiet. Nobody will see you leave, although how you entered in the first place is a detail that I will have to take care of later. So I do not see why someone was going to connect with me, I'm not the only one who holds a grudge against you.  
At that moment Ash hated Mason Silversmith, he hated him so much that he wanted to get up and grab him but his bonds prevented him. The gesture amused Mason. He crouched down again and whispered:  
–Nice try –before putting a hand on his forehead (still throbbing from the blow that had knocked him unconscious) and hitting his head against the column.  
That's how he knew it was made of wood, because of the burning sensation left by the blow on the back of the skull. He also noticed the creaking it made and then remembered the mold on the walls and wondered who designed that place, someone should have told him that it was not a good idea to put wood in a humid place.  
Mason looked at his guards.  
–You know what to do guys –he checked his watch–, you can start in twenty minutes.  
–Why not right now? –Asked one of them to whom Ash recognized as Bernie, had a red spot on his left ear, from when he smashed the bottle in his face.  
Mason gave the man a look full of disdain.  
–Because I do not want his screams to bother my guests.

How considerate.

He left without saying another word, leaving Ash with those three men who looked at him like a mouse in a mousetrap.  
The time passed with an amazing slowness, as if each moment was frozen and it melted little by little till the next one came. The lamia could not say if that was good or bad, on one hand it was extremely annoying and on the other, it made it seem like he had more time than he actually had.  
The guards seemed to share this feeling, they were on the other side of the room; one started smoking and another was sitting on a barrel. The third; Bernie, had his eyes fixed on the wall and kept moving his foot. He wondered how they thought of getting rid of him, maybe they would throw him into the bottom of the sea or into an abyss ... or maybe they would just bury him in the garden. In any case, no option was a valid way to end his days.  
He tried to turn his head, which was a difficult task with the position he was in. But he knew that if he wanted to get out alive he had to do something, despite the pain in his back head he managed to turn his neck. Ash realized that he was a short distance from the corner where he was knocked out, he could even see the pieces of glass from the bottle he used against Bernie. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that none of the three guards had noticed that he was moving.  
Good.  
He spread his hands as far as he could and felt the floor, there were several pieces of glass but they were all too small. After a few long seconds the tips of his fingers brushed a piece that was longer than the rest. Ash tried to draw it to him, but he barely managed to touch him. If only he had telekinesis instead of telepathy, like the witches. He kept stretching his fingers and little by little, he managed to pull it a few inches towards where he was.  
His hand closed on the piece of glass at the same time Bernie shouted:  
–Hey! What are you doing?  
The young lamia said nothing, he remained silent, with his head down and fists clenched. Luckily, that piece fit in the palm of his hand.  
Bernie examined him up and down and then left, but not before kicking him in the ribs, of course.  
–Stay still –he warned as he walked away.  
If only he had known that from the moment he turned his back, the vampire started to work, rubbing the glass against the ropes of his wrists. The sound of breaking strands did not go unnoticed by the guards but by the time they noticed the noise it became a snap and Ash felt the pressure in his wrists diminish and could move them freely.  
He stood up and backed up to the corner behind him. The guards were coming toward him. He only had one opportunity so he had to do it right. He gathered all the strength he could and rushed forward. The impact of his compact body against the wooden column generated a strong creak. When he opened his eyes he was lying on the ground, next to the wall; where the column had been before there was nothing left. Something similar to the echo of the original creak shook the room, it came from everywhere at once.  
Ash saw the roof come down.  
He received blows in various parts of the body but he was saved from being buried under the debris rain like the other three. There were fallen chairs, desks, and even a bookshelf.

Leaving the same way he entered was not a choice, that mountain of materials blocked the threshold, his only option was to open the door behind him.  
He turned the knob, it was locked. He wanted to curse but instead let out a guttural and primitive sound. He felt anger growing inside his chest and knew it was better to take advantage of it. He focused all that frustration on the damn door and smashed his body against it, just as he had done with the column. The first thrusts left the right half of his body in pain, with the third the door swung open; Ash lost his balance and fell flat on the floor.  
 _What a night._  
He stood up and looked around; he was searching for one thing only: a way out, everything else was irrelevant. That's why it was the view of three gray walls, without any door or anything, made him feel like a child who finds that there are no gifts under the tree on Christmas day.  
 _No, no, no, no._  
It was his only thought.  
There had to be an exit somewhere. It had to. He refused to die at the hands of vulgar thugs in charge of a presumptuous mobster.  
He examined every meter of that room until he saw it: a square half hidden in one of the corners. When he approached he realized that it was a wooden lid, it had accumulated so much dust it got lost with the gray of the walls. Ash picked it up; it was the entrance (or exit, depending how you saw it) to a dark chute that extended upward; he couldn't see how far it went, it was most likely to be used to transport coal when the house was built and with the arrival of new eras it had fallen into oblivion. He dropped the lid and it fell away from whatever that had been holding it until then and fell to the ground.  
Ash remained motionless in that dark and silent room; he knew it would not stay like that for long. Debris did not kill vampires, throwing a ledge over them had slowed them down for a short time, he didn't know how much a collapsed roof could held them back. But he wasn't going to stay and find out.  
He introduced his arms first and then his head in that black hole, the air was dusty there and his nose stung. His head was followed by his torso and finally his feet. He advanced through the chute with his hands and feet against its walls; the activity was ridiculous in appearance and painful in practice, all its members were tense by the effort. Not to mention disgusting, that place was full of spider webs and on more than one occasion he felt small, thin legs glide quickly through his hands, each time it happened he had to resist the urge to shake his arm since he did not want to fall and have to start all over again.  
That task was something like an endless torture, it seemed that the stupid chute was endless but it was then that he saw a square of light on his head and the spell broke. He even felt that the sight of an exit offered him some impulse. Happily he took it and used it to reach that illuminated frame, placed both hands on it and pushed himself forward. First he pulled out his head, followed by the rest of his body.  
The vampire landed on some cold tiles. When he stood up he recognized the kitchen. In front of him and sitting on the marble counter was a boy, he had the window open behind him and his right arm was totally outside, holding a lit cigarette. He looked at Ash with wide eyes full of disbelief. Their eyes locked for a second, after which Ash looked away and went to the back door that he knew was there.

He also knew that that door was locked inside and the key was hidden in a vase located in one of the upper shelves. He remembered everything because that had been the escape route he and Amber used that fateful April night.  
After that night, every time the incident reappeared in Ash's mind, he appeased the guilt by telling himself it was not his fault, that there had simply been a set of circumstances that no one could control that had led to an unfortunate accident. But he knew that was not entirely true. He could not control the weather nor could he predict the heavy rain that would fall that night, that part was true, but he was the one that proposed to take the car, he was the one behind the wheel, he was the one who drove far beyond the speed limit, and it had been him who lost control when they reached that curve, causing the car to skid and roll over. It was also he the one who panicked and to avoid problems, fled the place. Amber was not so lucky, the firefighters, alerted by a human who witnessed the accident, pulled her out with the jaws of life.  
Embarrassment invaded him as he relived everything that happened that night.  
A series of decisions had led him to a despicable and very cowardly act.  
Now another series had forced him to tear down a roof and crawl through an old, rusty chute.  
Or was all that was part of the same chain of events?  
Ash did not want to think about it, he did not want to think about anything.  
He went on his way in automatic mode until he reached the gate through which he had entered. Upon seeing him, Cooper raised his eyebrows and his eyes widened.  
–What the…? –He did not finish the question –. What the hell happened in there?  
Ash kept walking.  
–Ash! Answer me! Ash!  
Cooper's voice disappeared little by little.  
An hour later Ash was sitting on a sidewalk, waiting. When he finally spotted the Fortuner's headlights he got to his feet, went to the car and collapsed on the backseat. Nilsson was the first in the whole night who was not perplexed to see him covered in a thin layer of pulverized coal, with much of his clothes in tatters and a large bruise on his left shoulder sticking out of his half-open shirt. Possibly he had seen others in worse conditions.  
The journey to the mansion seemed to take place in the blink of an eye. Upon entering he noticed the looks of other Daybreakers on him but he was too tired to care or answer questions. His mind was focused on one thing: his room.  
Someone suggested him to go to the infirmary to check his wounds but Ash ignored her, he had nothing that could not be cured with a good nap, a bath and a couple of days of rest. When he got to his room, the first thing he did was drop his aching body on the mattress.  
Many would have found it curious that he, a vampire, had decided to place his bed right in front of the window, where the sun's rays hit him directly in the face every morning. But that did not matter to him, he had done it because that way, the sky was the first thing he saw when he woke up, and the sky reminded him of Mary-Lynnette. In fact, in those moments, the sky was an electric blue color that looked a little like the blue of her eyes.  
Ash let his eyelids close.  
He wondered if one day he would be able to look at her eyes and confess all the sins he had committed.

 **-So…. I know I haven't updates in a while and for that I'm very sorry. To be fair, I wasn't sure what to do with this specific story honestly, this is the fourth draft I wrote and the one I felt made more sense.**

 **I hope you like it and as always, any feedback you may have will be appreciated. Also, I apologize for any grammatical/spelling error this may have, English is not my first language and I don't have a beta but I always try my best.**


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